SEOUL -- To enhance research and development capabilities in artificial intelligence technology, Samsung Electronics has scouted two prominent experts who have developed machine learning algorithms for AI to learn and improve abilities in autonomous driving, humanoids and industrial robots.

Samsung said in a statement Monday that H. Sebastian Seung, a professor at Princeton University's Department of Computer Science, and Daniel D. Lee, the chair professor at the University of Pennsylvania's School of Engineering and Applied Science, have joined its research center.

Samsung Research, an advanced research and development hub, was established last year in an effort to beef up the company's AI developing capability and compete with rivals such as Microsoft and Google.

The company acquired VIV, an American startup which develops AI technology, in 2016 and released Bixby, a deep learning-based AI platform, in March 2017. The AI platform is now fitted in new Samsung smartphones and provides a voice assistant feature.